Kayaking the Whitsundays
Is Kayaking The Whitsundays Safe And Feasible, And What About The Best Months?
Kayaking the Whitsundays is one of the best ways to get the most out of these stunning islands. There are not too many places in the world that you can paddle around for much of the year and not be buffeted by high seas and freezing waters, but the Whitsundays is one of them. Although they are quite spread out for the typical kayaker, there are many smaller islands and islets to explore and it’s easy to get away from the masses to an isolated beach. You can then set up camp, go for a swim, do a spot of snorkeling and have the place to yourself.
Two popular kayak tour operators are Sea Kayaking Whitsundays and Salty Dog Sea Kayaking. They offer guided, half-day paddles or have rentals so you can go it alone for several days and camp out under the stars. Hook Island and Whitsunday Island are particularly popular as they both have fine coastlines where you can do anything up to a six-day paddle. Hamilton Island is another favorite and also comes with good tourist facilities. The kayaks used by these operators in the Whitsundays are of the sea variety; that is, they are like small boats featuring a covered deck and spray-deck option. Although not as maneuverable as your standard kayak, they are good for carrying equipment and are more stable and comfortable for longer journeys.
Most kayak tours in the Whitsunday Islands go from Shute Harbour, which is just south of Airlie Beach. Short, day tours typically take in Tancred Island and Shute Island with swimming and snorkeling opportunities along the way before hitting the beautiful White Rock. This little island is part of the national park and has a stunning beach where you can swim and sea fish and turtles. It is a great introduction to kayaking the Whitsundays. Serious kayakers will want to head out into the archipelago proper, however, and this will generally involve a ferry trip out to Hook Island or Hamilton Island, from where you can pick up kayaks.
Hamilton is the most developed of the Whitsundays, with a decent offering of hotels and resorts as well as camping. It also has loads of beaches, and despite being the busiest island, you can easily take to the sea and find a quiet shore. There are five major fringe reefs around Hamilton Island and it is only a couple of miles across and is sheltered by the larger Whitsunday Island to the north and Dent Island to the west. Sea Kayaking Whitsundays is the main kayak operator on Hamilton and they offer guided tours, or rentals for those who prefer to go it alone.
Hook Island is one of the larger and more northerly of the Whitsundays. It is not as busy as Hamilton Island but it does come with a resort - Hook Island Wilderness Resort – where guests have the free use of kayaks. They only allow you to stay within the bay, however, although you can also negotiate trips farther afield for kayaking the Whitsundays.
